Teachers favour ban on mobile phone usage

Majority of the teachers favoured the recently passed resolution of Punjab Assembly to ban use of mobile phones in schools and colleges, considering it a source of distraction the students from their studies.
The administration of every school and college impose restrictions on the use of cell phones during the study hours and parents and teachers also believe that students must not keep the cell phones with them at the college or school level.
"The only justification for some of the parents for giving children cell phones is the ups and downs in law and order situation of the country however it is the responsibility of administration of institutions to keep the parents of the children well-informed about every situation", Farooq Ahmad, lecturer at a college said. "It is very annoying when a teacher is delivering a lecture and students continue exchanging text messages rather focusing on their studies", he said.
Most of the time, students are observed sitting at different corners of the college, listening FM and MP3 music on head phones and exchanging messages through SMS, quitting the classes, Farooq Ahmad said. Cell phones are also used by the students for cheating in exams, harassment, facilitating gossip and other social activities, which divert their attention from studies.
Another lecturer, Rao Shakeel appreciated the passage of resolution by PA and said it is a good initiative, which must be given legal cover. "However, if such ban is opposed by majority of the people, any alternative mechanism can also be adopted for restraining mobile usage within the classrooms so that the students can concentrate on their studies" Shakeel said. Colleges can also depute an official for collection of the mobiles at some point so that the students can be facilitated as well as saved from its misuse, he said.
Another teacher Samina Zareen said "Giving mobiles to the students for the sake of their protection during uncertain law and order situation and for telling the parents about timing are all lame excuses as colleges and schools have fixed study schedule and timings". Similarly, the administration of the institute is responsible to inform parents in case of any untoward situation during college timings.
Pakistan was ranked 9th among 222 countries with highest cell phone usage by the CIA World Factbook 2009 with 88,020,000 users in 2008, which is alarmingly increasing day by day. Cell phone usage in the developed countries like United Kingdom, United States, Germany, Russia, France and Austria is very limited as the citizens are charged for paying out going as well as incoming calls after a specific limit.